Carls, half carls and Gardeners

From: david.boatright_at_...
Date: Thu, 7 Mar 2002 14:56:14 -0000

Peter Metcalfe

---

>I can't find any stats on the number of beasts that a carl's
>stead owns (the stead on page p18 is too big and if scaled
>down implies that a stead containing 15 people only has 26
>cattle which is too few). I suspect that one or two of the
>other people in the stead are half-carls and the rest cottars
>and gardeners.

This is what has me confused. I was always under the impression that farming carls made up the bulk of the clan. If stead on TR p40 meant longhouse, to me it would make more since. The other defination for Carl has them providing spear and shield to the fyrd. Does that mean the majority of fyrd is armed with clubs anbd the like.